JepPaks Alpine Pack Spotlite Review

[Stephanie Jordan]

Companion forum thread to: JepPaks Alpine Pack Spotlite Review

[Douglas Frick]

I visited the JepPaks link provided. There is no Alpine Pack design listed, and no prices. I appreciate the thorough review of this pack, but since JepPaks appears to be a fully-custom maker, some details about their design and build process and rough pricing would be useful in the review. (It would be useful on JepPaks's website, too…) In particular, the specific configuration of the Alpine Pack using JepPaks "Custom Backpack Quote" form, and the quote, would help put this pack in perspective.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

> frame material? >frame geometry? >pack options? i.e harnesses & hip belts for women? side pockets? colors? (blue & white don't cut it with me) >pack capacity sizes?

[IVO K]

This is not a review, although it claims it is. The BPL staff have lowered the standards to an abysmal level by publishing it as a "review". Key details about the pack are missing. The pack is not in production. No experiences shared about responsiveness and ease to work with the pack-maker during the custom build. I would call this "bloody useless" if I did not realize that it's actually worse than that – it was a waste of my time and a very disappointing experience.

[Ken Thompson]

Watch out. You'll be treated like –B.G.– Hey Eric, No frame All custom. No idea on prices, lead time, etc…. I'm with Ivo and Douglas on this one. Fail.

[Jeffs Eleven]

This one time I used a tent in a crazy hailstorm on the is trip y'all will probably never go on. My tent kept all five of us comfortable while we played cards and made pancakes. Its the best three pounds in my pack. Y'all should get one

[Cayenne Redmonk]

Are the details being hidden by adblockers ?

[Anonymous]

Hello all, Thanks for your feedback. Our intention was not to publish a sloppy review devoid of the details you were expecting. We admittedly struggled some while reviewing this pack and could have done a better job. We have been trying to write more reviews that focus on cottage brands, the gear they create, and their ability to customize their production because we feel that these topics would be of interest to our readers and may help them if they choose to order their own customized gear. Cottage brands are often on the cutting edge of outdoor gear, and their out-of-box solutions often shape the industry and we wanted our readers to be able to see that process firsthand. We realize now that it doesn't fit too well in the Spotlite category which are introductory reviews to outdoor gear available on the market. I agree that some of the details you requested would have been helpful for the reader however that was beyond the scope of the assignment for me especially since I did not interface with JepPaks to customize this pack. My question for you all is: Is this writeup if it wasn't classified as a review valuable? Does it help for us to expose you to customized gear? If so what would be a better classification for this article? Thank you! Eric

[Ken Thompson]

New manufacturer first impressions perhaps? Thanks for your candid reply

[Roger Caffin]

Hi Eric I think some of the criticisms are a bit off the mark. My thoughts: Yes, the review should have made it clear that the pack is a custom design, not a production line version. But many cottage companies start that way, so it does not serve our readers to never mention them. There should have been a bit more mention of how the pack could be customised for the buyer. That would require some interaction with the vendor. This info would be valuable for our readers. The company (not BPL) should make some mention of the pack on their website if they want to get people to order it or similar. That's their problem, not BPL's. I see no problem with the use of the term 'spotlight', just the sole focus on the pack per se rather than the customisable nature of the pack. We have a few other pack mfrs who specialise on custom designs, and they are well respected. Cheers

[David M Dorn]

Just tried the lin at the beginning of the article and received a notice that the website had “expired”..I  understand that this is a custom pack but it no use to us if there is no reliable way to contact the  manufacturer.

This just becomes another case of “vaporware”.

 

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